Electric-conduit fitting.



S. B. VAN RANST.

ELECTRIC CONDUIT FITTING. APPLICATION FELED FEB. 11, I910.

1,243,902. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.-

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. B. VAN RANST.

ELECTRIC cowoun FITTING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.H.1910- 1,2 43,902. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

S. B. VAN RANST. ELECTRIC CONDUIT FITTING.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 11. 1910.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

S. B. VAN RANST.

ELECTRIC CONDUIT FITTING.

APPLICATION FlLED FEB. I1. 1910.

1,243,902. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

5 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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ELECTRIC CONDUlT FITTING.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. H. 1910.

1,243,902. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. VAN RANST, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CROUSE-HINDSCOMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-CONDUIT FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0a. 23, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. VAN RANsT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-ConduitFittings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric fittings, designed for use forhousing fuse cut-outs, and the invention relates particularly to aservice entrance fitting for use in connection with electric conduits.

Heretofore it has been the custom for electric power plants, as centralstations, to furnish power to the general public by means of heavy mainsor trunk lines, which distribute the electric current over a largeterritory. At intervals, these mains are tapped for supplying current ata reduced voltage to branch mains or conductors, which carry the sameinto buildings and other like places for local use. As a general rule,at the point where the branch lines receive the energy from the mains, atransformer is employed for reducing the voltage suitably for the localinstallations. Frequently, a number of independent branch service linesare fed from the one transformer, for serving as many differentconsumers or circuits, and these are usually protected by so-calledprimary fuses carried by the transformer. Where several service linesare supplied with current by one transformer, in case of a ground orshort circuit in any one of the service lines, if no intermediate orsecondary protection is provided, the primary fuses of the transformermight be blown, in which event, all of the branch lines fed by thetransformer would be interrupted until the defective line could belocated, disconnected,

and the main fuses of the transformer replaced. It not infrequentlyhappens that the blowing of the primary fuses results in more serioustrouble than the mere interruption of the service during the intervalrequired for the replacing of the said fuses. In many instances a groundor a short circuit occurring between the' transformer and the protectivedevices or terminals located within a building, fuses or melts theservice wires and these become welded in the conduitssometimes burningthrough and destroying the conduitthus rendering it impossible towithdraw the service wires, or

otherwise restore the service, without reconstructing the conduits. Tothis end it is an object of the present invention to provide a secondaryor intermediate protective device, to be interposed between thetransformer and the service conduit pipe carried by a building, forobviating the troubles referred to, and particularly for localizingcertain forms of the said troubles.

The said device consists of a substantial weatherproof fitting, arrangedfor connecting with the conduit pipe, and also arranged for receivingthe branch mains or service wires direct from the transformer. The saidfitting is further arranged to receive and support a fuse cut-out, or anumber of such cut-outs, of different styles or makes, each of which maybe adjustably mounted upon specially constructed supports, arrangedwithnovel and simple securing means. The said fitting is further arrangedfor suitably insulating all of the electric wires and connections, andfor preventing the abrasion of the wires, as well as, short circuits.The said fitting is constructed and arranged to shed water falling uponit, and to prevent moisture and dirt from oiltering, or in any mannerendangering the electric parts inclosed with said fitting.

A particular object ofthe invention is to provide means for installingwithin the said fitting protective cut-outs for each of the serviceentrance wires, and to arrange the said cut-outs in such manner thateither one of them may be blown-out, by reason of a short circuit orground occurring in the branch mains between the transformer and theconduit, due to over-load or otherwise, without in any way affecting ordisturbing the other service wires, thus localizing all trouble andavoiding interruption of the service to other consumers or lines, whichmay be fed from the same transformer. And a further object is to providea fuse inclosing fitting, which will eliminate fire risk, as well as,expense of repairing and replacing service conduit installations.

The invention will be more fully understood from the detail descriptionwhich follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawings which forma part of this specification, and-in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation, showing the complete fitting applied to a conduit, alsoshowing branch service Wires in place. Fig.

.2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is tion on line 5-5 of Fig. 1..Fig. 6 is a topplan view of fitting with cap removed. Fig. 7 is asectional view on line 77 of Fig. 3, showing the bushings for the wiresand manner of applying and supporting same. Fig. 8 is a side elevation,showing modified arrangement of the conduit receiving nipple. Fig. 9 isa perspective view, showing the method of mounting and attaching thefuse supporting plates to the integral ribs on rear inner wall offitting. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of the fuse supporting plate,taken on line 1()-10v of Fig. 9, showing the manner of attaching thefuse block to the late. Fig. 11 is a sectional detail, on line 1111 ofFig. 9, showing arrangement of the plate securing means.

My improved fitting consists of a hollow casing 2 preferably made ofcast metal, comprising a back 3, front 4, sides 5 and 6, and a depressedangular-shaped bottom 7. The bottom of the casing preferably inclinesand converges rearwardly, and terminates in a central dependingcylindrical neck 9, arranged flush with the back 3, which is aperturedand threaded to form a nipple to receive or to connect with a conduitpipe 10. The neck 9 at the inner end of the nipplethreads is preferablychoked by an annular rib 11, which is provided for an abutment or stopfor the inner end of pipe 10. The rib also serves to prevent the wiresfrom contacting with any bur or sharp edge on the end of the pipe.

At each side of the back is arranged an integral laterally projectinglug 12 perforated to receive screws 12 or other suitable devices, forattaching the fitting to a building, pole or other support convenient toa transformer. The back 3 is also perforated, as at 13, for providingadditional means for securing the casing inservice position.

The front wall 4 of the casing is arranged with a large opening 14, forpermitting access to the interior, for installing and operating theappliance and connections .inclosed therein. The opening 14 is closed bya door or cover 15, which is hinged to the side 6 by means of perforatedlugs 16, 16 carried by the door, and by similar lugs 17, 17 whichproject from the side wall of the casing, and pivot pins 19, whichpierce the said lugs. The cover 15 is arranged so that when open it maybe swung laterally clear of the opening, as shown in Fig. 3, and whenclosed, it is held in such position, by a hingebolt 20, and a wing-nut21, the bolt being pivoted between lugs 22 carried by side 5 of thecasing, by a pin 23. The bolt 20 is pivoted to the casing in such mannerthat it may be swung laterally toward and from the edge of the door, andwhen swung into locking position passes into a laterally facing slot 24,arranged in a lug 25, which is formed on and projects beyond the leftside edge of the door. The arrangement of the bolt and wing-nut is suchthat when the latter is unscrewed sufiiciently the bolt. may be swunginto the slot 24, and then the nut screwed inwardly against the lug 25until it forces and holds the door in closed position. The lug 25 isarranged at an angle relatively to the plane of the door, as shown at 26in Fig. 6, for preventing the accidental.

releasing of the bolt and-wing-nut and the opening of the door. Theinner side of the door is provided with a depressed surface or ledge 27,surrounded by a continuous flange 28, for receiving a packing or gasket29, preferably rubber, which may be connected to the door by cement orother securing means. The gasket 29 is arranged to seat against acontinuous outwardly facing rib 31 formed on the front wall of thecasing bordering the opening 14 and which is overlapped by the flange 28when the door is closed. The entire border or outer edge of the door iscurved or rounded, as shown,

to shed water and also to relieve the part of sharp corners and edges.

The upper end of the casing is flared at its opposite sides to providelaterally projecting angular portions 32, which preferably extendupwardly and appear level with the top edge of the front andback of thecasing. The flaring portions or walls 32 of the casing are each providedwith a number of outwardly facing slots or openings 33, arranged betweenparallel guide-arms or guide-lugs 33, for receiving insulating bushings,34 having holes 34 for the wires 35, the bushings being provided withoppositely arranged coacting grooves 36 for engaging the parallel edgesof the slots. Owing to the slots formed in the flaring walls and to thegrooves 36 in the bushings which receive the margins of the arms 33, thearrangement of the slots 33 is such that thebushings 34 are held partlyby gravity .from being displaced or detached from the slots.

37 represents an arched cover of cap for. closing the upper end of thecasing. The cover is hollow and arranged with a continuous depending lipor flange 38,-which over-laps and shields the entire top of the casing,including the flared portions 32 and the bushings 34. The upper part ofthe back 3, as 39, is cast or arranged forward of the underlying part ofsuch back, in order to receive the depending rear wall of the cover,thus making the rear surface of the casing and cover flush. The upperfront part 4 of. the casing is provided with a overhanging edge or. ribfor strengthening the said wall. The interior of the front and end wallsof the cover or hood 37 is provided with a horizontally arrangeddepressed shoulder or ledge 41, which bears upon the "top of the front 4of the casing and also upon the tops of the flaring portions 32 of thesides 5 and 6 thus affording a firm and level support for the cover. Thecover is held in place on the casing by a series of screws 42 which passthrough threaded perforations in the depending flange 38, the inner endsof the screws engaging the front wall 4 beneath the rib 40 and also theangular portions 32 in a manner to prevent the displacement of thecover. This feature may best be seen by reference to Figs. 3 and 5.Externally the cover 37 is arranged to shed water falling upon thefitting and to prevent the same from entering the open top. The cover isalso arranged to protect-the bushings 34 from moisture, and at the sametime prevent withdrawal of the bushings from the slots 33 as the covercloses the upper ends of the slots through which the bushings areremovable.

,The casing 2 is intended for receiving and inclosing fuse .or othersuitable cut-outs to be used in connection with service entrance wires,and preferably interposed between a transformer (not shown) and -aconduit pipe arranged within, or upon the outside of a building. Toprovide in a simple and convenient manner for the installing of thecutouts, a number of integral transversely disposed ribs, as 43 and 44,are formed or mounted on the inner wall of the back 3 of the casing, andthese extend substantially the full width of the interior or chamber ofthe casing. Ribs 43 and 44 are arranged with grooves 45 facingrespectively the top and bottom of the casing.

47 represents a fuse or cut-out base, pref erably consisting of aninsulating material, as Jrcelain, or fiber, which is fitted with theusual binding contacts 49, for wires, as

35 and 50, and clips 51 for fuse cut-outs, as

52. Any other form of cut-outs, such as open-link or plug fuses (notshown) may also be used instead of the inclosed type of fuses, as shown.The fuse-block 47 is mounted upon a supporting plate or part 53, andsecured thereto by screws or bolts 54, which pass through perforationsin the block and then through slots or openings 55 formed in the saidplate. The number and arrangement of the slots 55 are such thatfuse-blocks of different sizes and the opposite ends of the plates arebent, to

provide coacting lugs or flanges 56 and 57 for over-lapping and engagingthe ribs 43 and 44. The lower end 56 of the plate 53 is bent inwardly ina manner to form a flangehook to grip the overhanging edge of rib 44,and the upper end 57 of the said plate is bent substantially at rightangles to the plane of the plate and is perforated and threaded, at 59,to receive screws 60 which are driven through the flange 57 and engagethe bottom of the groove in rib 43, as best seen in Figs. 5 and 9. Underthis construction and arrangement of the flangedplate 53 and the ribs 43and 44, by the tightening up or loosening of the screws 60, the plates,with fuses mounted thereon, may be readily, quickly and securelyattached to, or removed from, the inner wall of the fitting, and theymay also be adjusted to different positions to suit the requirements ofthe installation, as well as, the character or style of the parts. Theribs 43 and 44 are arranged so as to hold the body of the slotted plates53 free and clear of the metallic sides and back of the casing and thusprovide for the ready and safe attaching of the cutout bases.

The bottom of the casing is arranged with a space 61 contiguous to thenipple for permitting free manipulation of the wires 50, particularlythe connecting of the said wires to the fuse block.

The conduitnipple 9 is arranged at the lower side of the casingsubstantially flush with back 3 of the main fitting to facilitatemounting both the fitting and the conduit upon a flush wall, as 63.

In the smaller fittings of this class but one fuse-blocksupporting-plate 53 is employed, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 5 and 6. Inthe larger fittings, such as used in connection with heavierinstallations, for supplying a number of consumers, two or more plates53 are usually mounted upon the ribs 4344, as illustrated in Fig. 9. Ineither case, the arrangement of the slots 55 is such that a number ofcut-out blocks or bases may be adjustably mounted upon each plate. Thefuse blocks should be mounted upon and securely attached to the platesbefore the latter are inserted in the fitting. The threading of thescrews 60 into the flange 57 of the plate 53 and the driving of the saidscrews into the groove 45, as illustrated in Fig. 9, tend to draw thelower flange-hook 56 tightly against the under side of rib 43, and owingto the peculiar form and arrangement of these parts, there is no dangerof the plates becoming loose or detached while in service position.

The fitting herein shown and described is arranged for threewireservice,buta smaller or a greater number of wires for supplying oneor more circuits may be employed without requiring any materialalteration or change of the principal parts of the device. By enlargingthe casing and providing a greater number of bushings, a series ofindependent service Wires may be run through the fitting, and each maybe provided with an independent fuse or cut-out of any suitable make orsize mounted upon one or more suporting plates, for safe-guarding theelectric fittings, instruments or protective devices located within abuilding or other place.

The location of my fitting at a convenient point between the transformerand the local installations, and the novel and simple arrangement of thecut-out mechanisms and the supports therefor, for protecting the serviceinstallations and locaziling all trouble from grounds and shortcircuits, together with the provision of the means for making thefitting weather and water-proof, and the simple andready'manner in whichthe device and all of the appliances and fittings carried by it may beinstalled, interchanged and operated, constitute the essential featuresof my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fitting including two parts, one a body having projections on theinner face of a wall thereof, and the other a support for an electricalappliance having projections for lapping the projections of the body,and means extending through one of the projections of one of said partsand engaging the contiguous projection of the other of said parts,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A fitting comprising a hollow body having substantially parallelprojections on the inner face of a wall thereof, and a support for anelectrical appliance carried by the projections, said support havingengaging portions shaped to' form means for coacting with saidprojections, one of the projections having its outer face undercut andthe engaging portion of the support coacting with said projections beingshaped to substantially conform to said undercut side of theprojections, and clamping means associated with the other of theengaging portions of the support and coacting with the other projection,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A fitting comprising a hollow body having a plurality of ribs on theinner face of a wall thereof, and a support for an electrical appliancecarried by the ribs, said support having portions thereof shaped to formhooks for coacting with said ribs, one of the hooks having meansassociated therewith for holding the support with the hooks engaged withthe ribs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A fitting comprising a hollow body having a plurality ofsubstantially horizontal parallel ribs on the vertical face of a wallthereof, and a support for an electrical appliance carried by the ribs,said support having portions thereof shaped to form hooks for coactingwith said ribs whereby the support is supported by the ribs, and meansfor holding the support with the hooks engaged with the ribs, said meansextending through one of said hook shaped portions into engagement withthe corresponding rib, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A fitting comprising a hollow body having a plurality of ribs on theinner face of a wall thereof, and a support for an electrical appliancecarried by the ribs, said support having hook shaped means for coactingwith said ribs, one of the ribs having its outer face undercut and thehook shaped means of the support coacting therewith being bent toconform to said undercut face, and means extending through the otherhook shaped means of the support into coaction with the correspondingrib, substantially as r and for the purpose specified.

6. A conduit fitting comprising a hollow body formed with a pair ofsubstantially parallel ribs grooved on their outer sides, and asupporting member for an electrical appliance carried by the ribs, saidmember being provided with means coacting with the grooved sides of theribs for holding said member in position, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

7. A conduit fitting comprising a hollow body formed with a pair ofsubstantially parallel ribs grooved on their outer sides, and asupporting member for an electrical appliance carried by the ribs, saidmember being provided with means coacting with the grooved sides of theribs for holding said member in position, the means associated with oneof the hook shaped means being movable for permitting the detachment andattachment of the support, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

8. A conduit fitting comprising a hollow body having a plurality ofoppositely grooved ribs provided on the inner face of a wall thereof,and a support for an electrical appliance mounted upon and overlappingsaid ribs, and extending into and slidably interlocking into the groovesthereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. A conduit fitting comprising a hollowbody open at its top and havinga bottom formed with means for connection with a conduit, one of thewalls of the body having a wire passage near its upper edge, saidpassage opening through the upper edge of the body, a support having anelectrical appliance mounted within the body, a cap lapping the upperedge of the body and extending across the upper portion of the wirepassage where said passage opens through the upper edge of the body, thecap having an overhanging portion forming eaves, under and near whichthe wire passage is located, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

10. A conduit fitting comprising a hollow body having a door opening inits front sideand also having an open top, and a bottom formed withmeans for connection with the conduit, theupright wall of the bodyhaving a wire passage near its upper edge, the wire passage extendingthrough the upper edge of said Wall, and being substantially a slot openat its upper end, a support for an elec trical appliance mounted withinthe body of the back thereof and movable through the opening in thefront of the body, a cap lapping the upper edge of the body andextending across the open end of said slot, means for detachablysecuring the cap in position whereby the cap is readily removable forpermitting access to the interior of the body,

and a door for the door opening, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

11. A conduit fitting comprising a rectangular hollow body having aflaring open top and also having its front side open, wire openings inthe flaring portion, the openings opening through the upper edge of thebody, a hood detachably mounted on the body and closing the open ends ofthe wire openings, an electrical appliance mounted within the body onthe rear Wall thereof and a door for the open side of the body,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL B. VAN RANST.

Witnesses:

M. E. ALLEN, C. O. SCHOENECK.

